Home appliance



Sep1. 12, 1961 l.. M. sTANULls 2,999,367

HOME APPLIANCE Filed March 5, 1959 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR. v ozmmzmq :Q3 i

Sept. 12, 1961 l.. M. sTANULls 2,999,367

HOME APPLIANCE Filed MaIOh 5, 1959 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Uu'flml Illlllllll INVENTOR.

Utcd States Patent``V This invention relates to an ice maker that is particularly adapted for household use.

The improved ice maker of this invention produces ice bodies automatically with a very small number of .operating parts and without requiring complicated apparatus such as motors, clock timers and the like. The ice maker is simple in construction,.low in cost and .produces ice bodies rapidly and efficiently.

An important advantage of the ice maker of this invenion is that the making of the ice body is automatic and is timed by a temperature responsive member so that no electrical energy is used. Thus, even where the l electrical power of the refrigerator is interrupted the ice maker Will continue to make ice so long as the tempera- `ture in the refrigerator is sufficiently low to freeze the liquid into ice. As soon as the temperature rises above the-freezing point of the liquid the ice making operation will stop.Y

` Furthermore, the ice bodies that are produced are dry so that they resist adhering to each other in the storage compartment and the ice bodies need -no separate drying to prevent sticking. The ice maker is practically noiseless as the only noise produced is that caused by the individual 4ice body falling into the usual storage receptacle. As no mechanical shock or impact is -used` to remove the ice body from the mold there is no chipping or fracture of the body. In addition, the parts of the ice maker all function together in such a manner that there i isy always the right amount of liquid introduced into the mold and the ice body formed therein is not ejected until the liquid has been completely frozen.

One of the features of this invention is to provide an improved apparatus for freezing ice bodies comprising a mold for freezing anice body therein, a supply of freezable liquid under pressure, pressure operated means for ejecting an ice body from said mold, means interconnecting said supply and the pressure operated means for operation thereof by the pressure of the freezable liquid,

predetermined amount from said supply and ejectng an ice body from the mold, and means for subsequently transferring said liquid portion to said mold preparatory to forming another ice body.

Another feature of the invention is to provide an improved apparatus for freezing ice bodies comprising a mold for freezing an ice body therein, a supply of freezable liquid under pressure, meansfor simultaneously isolating a portion of liquid of predetermined amount from said supply and ejectnig an ice body from the mold, a valve having an inlet connected to said liquid source, a first outlet connected to said liquid portion isolating means and a second outlet emptying into said mold, thermally responsive means operable only at subfreezing temperature in said mold for moving the valve to connect the valve inlet to the first valve outlet, means for subsequently moving the valve to interconnect the. first and second valve outlets, and means for thereupon transferring said portion of liquid through said outlets int the mold. j

A further feature of the invention is to provide a mold for forming an ice body comprising means forming a cavity, a flexible lining therein for receiving a liquid preparatory to formation of said ice body, and means for ejeeting the lining from the mold to eject the ice body, thev lining being asymmetrical about itsvlongitudinal central axis when in ejected position to cause the ice body to fall from the eject-ed lining in a predetermined direction. v Y

`Gther and more specific features of the invention will be apparent from the following description of oneemy. Vbodiment thereof taken in conjunction with the accomand means for subsequently directing liquid from the pressure operated means into the mold preparatory to freezing said liquid into an ice body.

Another feature of the invention is to provide an improved apparatus for freezing ice bodies comprising a mold for freezing an ice body therein, a supply of freezable liquid under pressure, pressure operated meansfor ejecting an ice body from said mold, and means for di- `recting a portion of said liquid rst to the pressure operated means forejecting an ice body and then to the mold preparatory tofreezing said portion to form an Y ice body.

A further feature of the invention is to provide an Vimproved apparatus for freezing ice bodies 'comprising a mold for freezing an ice body therein, `means forming a chamber expansible under internal pressure, a supply of freezable liquid under pressure, means directing liquid means operable only at subfreezing temperature in said mold for simultaneously isolating a portion of liquid of panying drawings. Of the draw-ings:

lFIGURE. l is a sectional elevational view of ofneembodiment of the invention at a stage in the production of an ice body.

FIGURE 2 is a view similar to FIGURE l but showing the apparatus at a second stage.

FIGURE 3 is a View similar to the preceding figures but showing the apparatus at another stage in the preparation of an ice body.

FIGURE 4 is a view similar to the preceding figures illust-rating another stage `in the production of an ice Ody; v

The apparatus illustrated in the drawings is for producing a series of individual ice bodies automatically and continuously. The apparatus comprises a mold if) having a top open-ing cavity 11 in which is normally located a flexible diaphragm or lining l2 hav-ing an edge portion 13 fastened to an extending flange i4 on the mold 1h. The diaphragm l2 has substantially the shape of the mold cavity il and normally ts closely therein. The mold is adapted to contain a body i5 of liquid such as Water adapted to -be frozen into anice'body 16. The mold i@ may be supported within a subfreezing se' tion 17 of a conventional refrigerator and is adapted to besupported as on a shelf 18. Beneath the shelf may be located a coil i9 o-f evaporator tubing for cooling the mold l0 and the liquid 15 therein.

Arranged in heat transfer relationship with the interior of the mold l0 and supported lby the mold is a thermostat 2,0. .The Vthermostat is operatively connected to a control rod 2l which extends from the space -17 through a boundary Wall 22. The thermostat 20 moves the rod 2l to the right as viewed in the figures under a progressively decreasing temperature and moves it to the left vunder an increasing temperature.

Adjacent the outer end of the rod 21 is a valve including an outer body 23 and a rotatable inner part 24.

A Mounted on the body 23 beyond the outer end 25 of the rod 21 is a stop 26. A

municates with passage 28.

The valve body V23 is provided with aligned oppositely located passages 27 and 28 with the passage 27 connected to a pipe 29 that in turn is connected to a source of waterunder pressure.V The diametrically opposite aligned passage 28 is similarly connected to a pipe 31. Adjacent to the valve body passage 28is a. third passage 32 which is connected to a pipe 33 extending upwardly and forwardly through the wall 22 and having an end 34 emptying into the mold diaphragm 12.

The rotatable inner part 24 of the valve is provided with a pair of passages. Passage 40 lies on a diameter of the part .24 and passage 41 intersects passage 40 at about the mid-point thereof. As can be seen in FIG- URES l` and 2r when the valve is in one position as shown in FIGURE 1 one end of the passage 40 communicates with passage 32 while one end of passage 41 com- In another position of the valve part 24, as shown in FIGURE 2, the passage 4h connects the passages 27 and 28 while the passage 41 has itsouter end blocked by an impervious portion of thevalve body 23.

` Mounted on the outer surface of the wall 22 is a control assembly 42 for controlling the filling of the mold with liquid such as water and the ejection of the subsequently formed ice body. This control assembly comprises a housing 43 mounted on the wall 22 with the end adjacent the wall 22 containing a uid chamber 44 formed by a flexible diaphragm cup 45. The uid cham- `ber 44 is connected to the bottom of the mold cavity 11 by means of a pipe 46 andthe pipe 46 and chamber 44 contain an ice body ejection uid 47. This uid may be any substantially non-compressible and non-freezing liquid of which a 58% solution of glycerine in `water is an excellent example. The diaphragm cup 45 has mountedon the bottom thereof a disc 48 operating as a plunger. Positioned within the cup 4S is a coil compression spring 49. When the spring 49 holds the diaphragm cup 4S in fully extended position, as illustrated in FIG- 'URES l, 3 and 4,.the cup and the cooperating pipe 46 are completely filled with the iluid 47.

Extending inwardly of the housing 43 is an inner housing 50 having an outwardly extending cap 51. Housing S6 and cap 51 are provided with cooperating anges S2 and 53 between which is clamped an edge 54 of a flexible diaphragm S5. This diaphragm when fully extended, as shown in FIGURE l, is of cup-shape and is moved by means of a movable cylinder S6 having a base S7 attached to the bottom 5S of the diaphragm 55. This base 'S7 has an upstanding circular flange 59 Within which is located one end of a helical spring 60 which extends around the cylinder S6 and whose other end bears against the inner end 62 of the housing 50. The diaphragm 55 .and base 57 constitute a movable wall for the expansible chamber formed by the parts and the cap 51.

Aligned with the cylinder 56 andr arranged to enter this cylinder under certain conditions hereinafter described is a rod-shaped piston 61 also surrounded by the spring 60. This piston 61 extends through the inner end 62 of the housing 50 and is attached to the disc 48 which operates as a movable member. The cylinder end of the piston 61 is provided with a pair of fulcrumed catches 63 -urged apart by a compression spring 64. The catches 63 are located in a cutaway end of the piston 61 and have outwardly projecting ends provided with outwardly and forwardly sloped surfaces 65.

The end of the pipe 31 that is opposite the valve body 23 extends through the base 65 of the cap 51 to empty into the chamber 66 that is located between this cap S1 l and the diaphragm 5S. Y

In order to rotate the' rotatable inner part 24 of the valve there is provided an outwardly urged spring catch 67 that is urged outwardly by means of a spring 68 located in the bottom of a well 69 in which the catch 67 is radially movable. The outer-end of this catch 67 is provided with a sloped surface 70. The catch 67 is mounted for move- 4 ment with the rotatable part 24 and is thus located at one side of and beyond the stationary body 23 of the valve.

With the parts as shown in FIGURE 1 and with passages 28, 41, 40 and 32 interconnecting the pipes 31 and 33, spring 60 has just moved diaphragm 5S to its furthest extent to the right as shown in FIGURE l to force water from chamber 56 through pipes 31 and 33 to iill the mold diaphragm 12 as shown in this ligure. The freezing process for the water 15 isthen begun by the cold atmosphere in the freezing section 17 of the refrigerator and by the evaporator coil 19 that is in heat transferrelationship to the metal mold 10.

After theY water 415 becomes completely frozen, the thermostat 20 expands and pushes rod 21 outwardly or to the right as shown in FIGURESk l and 2. This outward movement of the rod 21 rotates the valve part 24 in a clockwise direction as viewed in the ligures to allow passage 46 to be in alignment with passage 28, so that water ilows from pipe 29 through the passages 27, 40 and 28 vinto pipe 31 to move the diaphragm 5S -to the left as shown in FIGURE 2. This movement of the diaphragm 55 causes the cylinder 56, piston 61, disc 48 and diaphragm 45 to also move tothe left. This is caused by the fact that the catches 63 engage the end of the cylinder 56 to lock the cylinder and the piston 61 together for movementA as a unit. The movement of the disc 48 to the left forces the ejection fluid 47 from the chamber 44 into the bottom of the mold cavity 11 beneath the diaphragm 12. This movement of the iiuid ejects the ice body 16, as shown in FIGURE 2, so that the ice body rolls from the extended diaphragm 12 to fall into a storage bin (not shown) of the customary type.

At the instant the mold lining 12 reaches its upper extension and the ice body 16 is ejected, the sloped ends 65 of the catches 63 have engaged the inner end 62 of the housing 50 to depress the extended ends of the catches 63 so as to disengage the cylinder 56 from the piston 61. This permits spring 49 to press the disc 48 and attached piston 61 outwardly to telescope the piston within the cylinder 56. This movement of the disc 48 and piston 61 is illustrated in FIGURE 3 and draws the ejection duid 47 back into the fluid chamber 44 within the diaphragm 45 and thus draws the mold diaphragm 12 within the mold cavity 11.V

During this time, rod 21 is still rotating valve part 24 in a clockwise direction, but since only a small arc of rotation is required to provide line-up for ilow of liquid between passages 40 and 2G, this ow continues throughout the additional rotation.

Shortly thereafter, the continuing clockwise rotation of the valve part 24 caused by the outward movement of the rod 21 against the catch 67 forces the catch 67 radially inwardly against the spring 68 by reason Yof the engagement of the sloped top surface 70 of the catch with the stop 26. This forces catch 67 inwardly far enough to become disengaged from the outer end 25 of the rod 21, and the rod 21 contacts Vthe stop 26. This allows spring means (not shown) to return the movable as shown in the drawings so that the rod and catch 67 are returned to their usual positions as shown in FIG- URE 1 preparatory to the formation of another ice body in the mold 10.

Although the apparatus illustrated is for forming one ice body at a time it is obvious that a plurality at a time n could be made if desired by using a plurality of molds y and associated apparatus. f

As will be noted from therabove, no heat is used in loosening and ejecting the ice body. Thus the body is ejected dry so as to minimize the problem of sticking of ice bodies to each other. Furthermore, there is no mechanical pounding or jarring to eject the ice body so that the'apparatus is virtually noiseless and the ice bodies are not chipped or broken.

A preferred feature of the invention is the shape of the diaphragm 12 when fully extended, as shown in FIG- UREA2. Thus as is shown in this ligure, the diaphragm is non-symmetrical about its central longitudinal axis so as to have a surface portion 71 somewhat flatter and downhill from the peak 72 of the diaphragm. This causes the ice body 16 to fall from the extended diaphragm in a predetermined direction so that the successive ice bodies are directed into the customary ice storage bin or basket.

Having described my invention as related to the embodiment shown in the accompanying drawings, it is my intention that the invention be not limited by any of the details of description, unless otherwise specified, but rather be construed broadly within its spirit and scope as set out in the accompanying claims.

The embodiments of the invention in which an exclusive property or privilege is claimed are defined as follows:

l. Apparatus for freezing ice bodies, comprising: a mold for freezing an ice body therein; means forming a chamber expansible under internal pressure; a supply of freezable liquid under pressure; means directing liquid from said supply into the chamber for expansion thereof; ya movable member operatively connected to the interior of the mold for ejecting an icc body therefrom on movement of said member in one direction from an initial position; means interconnecting said expansible chamber and movable member for movement of the member in said one direction on said expansion of the chamber; and means for transferring liquid from said chamber to the mold.

2. Apparatus for freezing ice bodies, comprising: a mold for freezing an ice body therein; means forming a chamber having a Wall movable under internal pressure from an initial position; a supply of freezable liquid under pressure; means directing liquid from said supply into the chamber for expansion thereof; a movable member operatively connected to the interior of the mold foi ejecting an ice body therefrom on movement of said member in one direction from an initial position; means interconnecting said movable wall and movable member for movement of the member in said one direction on said expansion of the chamber; means for returning said movable member to said initial position without corresponding movement of said wall; and means for transferring liquid from said chamber to the mold.

3. Apparatus for freezing ice bodies, comprising: a mold for freezing an ice body therein; means forming a chamber having a wall movable under internal pressure from an initial position; a supply of freezable liquid under pressure; means directing liquid from said supply into the chamber for expansion thereof; a ilexible lining for said mold in which said liquid is frozen to form the ice body; means including a movable member for ejecting said lining from the mold in ejecting an ice body on movement of said member in one direction from an initial position; means interconnecting said movable wall and movable member for movement of the member in said one direction on said expansion of the chamber; means for returning said movable member to said initial position without corresponding movement of said wall to draw the lining back into the mold; and means for transferring liquid from said chamber to the mold.

4. Apparatus for freezing ice bodies, comprising: a mold for freezing an ice body therein; means forming a chamber having a wall movable under internal pressure from an initial posit-ion; a supply of freezable liquid under pressure; means directing liquid from said supply into the chamber for expansion rthereof; a flexible lining for said 6 mold in which said liquid is frozen to form the ice body; means including a movable member for ejecting said li'n'- ing from the mold in ejecting an ice body on movement of said member in one direction 4from an initial position; releasable means interconnecting said movable wall and movable member for movement of the member in said onedirection on said expansion of the chamber; means vfor automatically disengaging said releasable means a't the completion of the movement in said one direction; means for returning said movable member to said initial position without corresponding movement of said wall to draw the ylining back into the mold; and means for simultaneously returning said movable wall to said initial position and transferring the liquid from the chambe to the mold.

5. Apparatus for freezing ice bodies, comprising: a mold for freezing an ice body therein; means forming a chamber having a wall movable under internal pressure from an initial position; a supply of freezable liquid under pressure; means directing liquid from said supply into the chamber for expansion thereof; a movable member operatively connected to the interior of the mold for ejecting an ice body therefrom on movement of said member in one direction from an initial position; means interconnecting said movable wall and movable member for movement of the member in said one direction on said expansion of the chamber; means for returning said movable member to said initial position without corresponding movement of said Wall; a valve having an inlet connected to said liquid source, a first outlet connected to said chamber and a second outlet emptying into said mold; thermally responsive means operable only at subfreezing temperature in said mold `for moving the valve to connect the valve inlet to the iirst valve outlet for moving the movable member and movable wall to eject an ice body and lill the chamber with liquid, means for returning said movable member to said initial position without corre-v sponding movement of said wall; and means for thereupon simultaneously returning' said movable wall to said initial position and transfer-ring the liquid from the chamber through the first and second valve outlets tothe mold.

6. Apparatus for freezing ice bodies, comprising: a mold for freezing an ice body therein; means forming a chamber having a wall movable under internal pressure from an initial position; a supply of freezable liquid under pressure; means directing liquid from said supply into the chamber for expansion thereof; a flexible lining for said mold in which said liquid is frozen to form the ice body; hydraulic means including a movable member for ejecting said lining from the mold in ejecting an ice body on movement of said member in one direction from an initial position; means interconnecting said movable wall and movable member for movement of the member in said one direction on said expansion of the chamber; means for returning said movable member to said initial position Without corresponding movement of said wall to draw the lining back into the mold; a valve having an inlet connected to said liquid source, a trst outlet connected to said chamber and a second outlet emptying into said mold; thermally responsive means operable only at subfreezing temperature in said mold for moving the valve to connect the valve inlet to the first valve outlet for moving the movable member and movable Wall to eject an ice body and fill the chamber with liquid; and means for thereupon simultaneously returning said movable wall to said initial position and transferring the liquid from the chamber through the rst and second valve outlets to the mold.

7. The apparatus of claim 6 wherein said lining is asymmetrical about its longitudinal central axis when in ejected position to cause the ice body to fall from the ejected lining in a predetermined direction.

8. Apparatus for freezing ice bodies, comprising: a mold for freezing an ice body therein; a supply of freezable liquid under pressure; means for simultaneously iso lating a portion of liquid of predetermined amount from said supply and ejecting an ice body from `the mold; a -Nalvehaving an inlet connected to said liquid supply; a

:rstoutlet connected to said liquid portion isolating means and a second outlet emptying into said mold; thermally responsive means operable only at subfreezing temperature in said mold for moving the valve to connect the valve inlet to the first valve outlet, said thermally responsive means ineluding a thermostat having a temperature responsive member in thermal Contact with the interior of said mold and an operating memberl mechanically connected to said valve; means for subsequently moving the valve to interconnect the rst `and second valve outlets; 'and means for thereupon transferring said portion of liquid through said outlets into the mold. t. e e

References Cited in the file Aof this patent Bauerlein Dec. 29, 1959 

